skip to main content

House came with koi pond/turtles. Help!

9 years ago

Hi. My husband and I just bought a house (in Los Angeles) that came with a koi pond. We thought it was going to be empty but there are three turtles and tons of tiny little light colored fish. We have no experience with a koi pond or fish or turtles. The seller of the house had only been there a year and left a note saying "The koi pond is a bit of a mystery. Here's some fish food" next to an old coffee can filled with little brown pellets. We don't know how koi ponds work. We will call a local company tomorrow but more importantly we want to know how often and what to feed the pond. I finally got a pic of one of the turtles before he dove back down and the little fish are surrounding him. Any advice on caring for the animals and identifying them would be of great help! Especially no idea what kind of fish these are. Will they grow into big fish or are they turtle food? I threw some of the brown pellets in and the fish nibbled at them.
Thank you!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

fireweed22
9 years ago
Score!
Red eared sliders, nothing overly exotic, but they are colorful and can become tame if you care to hand feed etc. If the pond is decent sized they won't be much of a concern but do need a small raft or log to sun tan on.
Can't tell what the fish are but possibly guppies or baby goldfish?
rebsy
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi Fireweed22,
Thanks for your message.
I had a pond guy come by who thinks the fish are mosquito fish. We are doing some troubleshooting with the pond to figure out where a leak is- somewhere in the pump. The pond is quite big and the turtles were sunning themselves on the pond's perimeter but the water level dropped a few inches and they can no longer reach so they've been struggling to sun themselves on the pump itself. I bought a floating fake log from petsmart but it's a little small. Hoping to have the pond fixed this week- it will be drained and cleaned with the turtles kept in a tank for a few hours...The pond guy said the pond is very primitive, he was not impressed, but hopefully we will get it running well. Also, I took the coffee can of "fish food" to a pet store and they said it was turtle food so I've been throwing some in every few days but the pond guy said they will eat fallen leaves mostly. Any other advice you have is much welcomed. Here's a bigger picture of the pond. Thanks!
Related Discussions
new to "pond life and maintence with intro to koi" help me please
Q
Comments (4)
You have about 470 gallons of water in your pond, if I figured it right, for healthy fish you can have only a certain amount of fish because of ammonia and waste production. (I have just gone thru this quandry this spring and rehomed all of my koi because they grew out of their space in 2 years. They were butterfly koi and the most beautiful fish babies but they could not remain healthy in the pond I had.) See this article- http://splendorkoipond.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-many-fish-can-i-have-in-my-pond.html The koi will grow quickly and are big waste producers. You will need to buy a kit and test the water for their health. I installed a trickle filter to help with cleaning up their water but it was only adequate for 1 year and could not keep up with their size/waste production. I now have comets, shubunkins and 2 yellow gold fish. They are satisfying my need for color and are very friendly like the koi. I wish you luck with your fish and know how attached you can get to them and the sadness of having to rehome them. Many other fish lovers on this site will help you with information on caring for your new babies.
...See More
Bought house with koi pond/turtles- help!
Q
Comments (4)
We have a slider we got from a turtle rescue years ago. Repotmin is the recommended food to give them, but ours loves fish food, so when we feed him, we let him eat that. If you have plants like Anacharis, water lilies & water hyacinths, you don't need to feed them much when those are growing. Goldfish survive off almost nothing, but not sure about koi. Sliders love meat, but that's supposed to be given in moderation, supposedly fish but haven't seen him eat them but we also don't see lots of fry (baby fish), snails & slugs (we are loaded with those in Maryland.) They will eat bread and popcorn too. We get freezes here, so once the pond gets below 50 degrees we stop feeding the fish (it is bad for them to eat when it's below 50) and the turtle loses interest in food. They slow down to almost nothing in the winter so we only see him when we have a warm spell.
...See More
Anyone had a Snapping Turtle in their pond?
Q
Comments (15)
ItÂs been three weeks now and the snapper is doing fine. I have seen him several times moving around under the ice. When the pond is not frozen, he seems to be under some submerged plants out in the middle. The water quality is good, and my painted turtles in the front pond have survived several winters. I was able to account for all my fish last week. I also saw a frog at the bottom, so the snapper has not been eating everything. I have a large industrial net that can hold the turtle if I am lucky enough to get him. He seems to go to the same areas of the pond when it is iced over and I am hoping he starts to go there when it is thawed. I have a large tub with a lid that I have cut holes into. Once I have the turtle in the tub, there is a lake about 20 miles away that will be his new home. I have had many suggestions about baiting a hook or getting a trap, but I really donÂt want to risk harming the turtle, I just want him out of my pond.
...See More
New Koi in a pond with goldfish and 1 big koi.
Q
Comments (1)
Hi. Can you give me the dimensions of your pond? Length, width, depth. Approximate is fine. Koi CAN get up to 3 feet long if given everything they need. Both koi and goldfish breed worse than rabbits. So be prepared to find homes for babies. Ideally when adding new fish to a pond they should be kept in a quarantine tank/pond for at least 3o days before adding to your existing pond. BUT most people don't want to wait that long. Quarantining your new fish helps prevent bringing any parasites to the pond and possibly killing your existing fish and prevent you having to spend a bunch of money on meds to rid your fish of the parasites. Now for the fish in the bucket. I hope they are not still in that bucket now. If so I hope you have a filter and air for them. If you want to keep your fish healthy and happy please get a fresh water test kit and test your water. At minimum you will want tests for Ammonia, PH, Nitrites. There are other test available : KH , GH, Nitrates, salt, ....Those are basics. Ammonia should always be zero PH between 7-8 Nitrites 0 Sorry, I could ramble on all day about the world of ponds, koi & goldfish. If you have more questions just let me know.
...See More
Jason
9 years ago
That's an excellent little pond! It probably wouldn't hurt to get the PH checked and do a little de-mucking if it needs it. You should try throwing in some aquatic plants, if the turtles don't eat them plants go a long way towards keeping the water clean. Did you ever get the leak fixed?
Debbie Downer
9 years ago
Why do you call it a koi pond? It looks much too small for koi (which grow to 2-3 feet and require 500-1000 gallons per fish). The current small inhabitants are more suitable.

Not sure why there's a separate koi pond forum here - more traffic on the pond & aquatic plant forum, come on over!

It's a cute pond actually - simple can be good. Probably could benefit from oxygenation/filtration - sounds like you have good advice from your local pond people.

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Koi Find Friendly Shores in Any Garden Style

By Marianne Lipanovich

A pond full of colorful koi can be a delightful addition to just about any landscape or garden

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Be a Citizen Scientist to Help Wildlife, Learn and Have Fun Too

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Track butterflies, study birds, capture stars ... when you aid monitoring efforts, you’re lending Mother Nature a hand

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING How to Make a Pond

By Mitchell Parker

You can make an outdoor fish paradise of your own, for less than you might think. But you'll need this expert design wisdom

PETS See a Deluxe 'Catio' Built for Feline Fun

By Becky Harris

Sixteen lucky cats get the run of a protected outdoor patio with ramps, steps and even a koi pond

PATIO OF THE WEEK Koi Glide Around a Tranquil Garden's Moat

By Becky Harris

This idyllic retreat combines lush plantings, statues and moving water for a serene backyard scene

FUN HOUZZ Houzz Quiz: How to Find Your ‘Me Time’ Place

Looking for the best place in your house to soothe away your stress? We’re here to help

DESIGNER SHOWCASES Livable Luxury at the 2015 Pasadena Showcase House of Design

Southern California designers mostly forgo the glitz at this year’s show house — a Tudor-Craftsman mansion and carriage house

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: California Hilltop Home Inspires Artistry

By Shelley Gardea - Flea Market Sunday

A desk made of airplane parts, a mirror sporting fluff ... unusual touches help turn a neglected house into a creative home and studio

LIFE You Said It: ‘Yikes, Tough Crowd’ and Other Quotes of the Week

By Becky Harris

Some of our favorite quotes this week came straight from the Comments section. See the stories and have your own say

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Earthiness Grounds a Contemporary Louisiana Home

Generous wood and thoughtful design on a 32-acre site, pond included, make for a warm-looking home that naturally fits its owners

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH